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• poor white
  poor white

  noun

  a member of a class of white people, especially of the southern U.S., having low social status and little or no money, property, or education.
• poor White
  poor White

  noun

poor white

American  

noun

Usually Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a member of a class of white people, especially of the southern U.S., having low social status and little or no money, property, or education.

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poor White British  

noun

1. offensive

   1. a poverty-stricken and underprivileged White person, esp in the southern US and South Africa

   2. ( as modifier )

      poor White trash

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Etymology

Origin of poor white

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

“It’s poor white voters. It’s people in small towns that don’t have much health care infrastructure…We’re going to see problems throughout the system that we haven’t experienced nearly as much in the last 60 years.”

From Salon • Aug. 5, 2025

Organizer Ross Morales Rocketto discussed how many working-class and poor white men found the GOP candidate’s restoring masculinity approach appealing.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024

I think what this documentary reveals to people who may not know is that poor white folks in Appalachia and poor Black and brown folks in South Los Angeles are going through very similar problems.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2023

“John is for the people, and it doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, white, Black.”

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2022

Were the poor white passengers going to die as a result?

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane